A Special Bond
by TheBarfly001
Summary: Dottie faces possibly the biggest challenge of her life. Will it make her or break her? She turns to one woman for help, but it may not be enough. She also meets several people from her past. HUMANIZED DISCONTINUED
1. The Injury

Dottie was finishing up in her workshop for the night. Her indigo colored jumpsuit and auburn colored hair hair were covered in black spots from all her hard work that day. After Dusty had come back to town from Piston Peak, the Corn Fest was in full swing. She soon had many people coming in their planes needing some repairs. While she was thinking about that, a headache came through. She got an aspirin and popped it in her mouth. Five minutes later, however, she started feeling lightheaded. As soon she did, she felt her body knocking over a few things as she collapsed onto the floor and clutched her chest in pain. A person dressed in a red, white, and black flight suit came rushing in through the door towards her. "Dottie!", the man yelled in surprise. Dottie opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. "Dusty?", she asked. "Sparky!", Dusty yelled. Dottie saw another figure run in, but it was to blurry. Then everything went black.

Dottie opened her eyes again slowly. At first her vision was blurry, but then it came into focus. She realized that she was in the hospital lying on a bed. Around her were Dusty, Chug, Sparky, Mayday, and Skipper. "How long was I out?", she asked them. "Three days.", Dusty answered with a somber expression. Just then the door opened and a doctor came in to address them. "Dottie Hyster?", he asked. Dottie nodded her head. The doctor paused for a moment, with Dottie lifting her head closer to him. But what he said next shattered her. "You suffered a heart attack." Dottie's eyes widened in disbelief. The doctor continued. "In order to continue functioning normally, you must stop doing strenuous activities, such as your job. You will need to stay here for two weeks." Everybody else in the room gasped. Dottie was heartbroken. "I'm so sorry.", the doctor apologized with compassion. "Thank you, doctor.", Skipper said to him. The doctor nodded and exited the room. Dottie put a hand on her mouth. Tears started welling up in her eyes as the realization dawned on her: she couldn't be a mechanic anymore. Sparky immediately got up and rushed to her side, putting a hand on hers and caressing it gently with his thumb. He then ushered the others out of the room. They walked out into hallway, with Mayday closing the door.

"This is all my fault.", Dusty said in guilt, "If I hadn't been so stuck up on racing, she wouldn't have been working as hard. Now that I'm also a firefighter, my plane would need more maintenance than ever." He buried his face in his hands in anguish. "I should've never become an air racer." He abruptly walked away toward the exit. The other three followed close behind him. Once outside, they saw Dusty hailing a cab. Once it left, they hailed another one. They got in and Mayday said to the driver, "Follow that cab." The cab drove off, following Dusty's. Back in the hospital room, Sparky was consoling Dottie, who was still crying. After many years of being tough, she'd finally broken down. "It's okay, Dottie.", he whispered, "I'll be here for you." Dottie was touched by his gesture. She gazed into his steely gray eyes, finding relief and comfort in them. She noticed his hat was off and in his other hand. That revealed his slightly gray and somewhat spiky hair covering his head. His cheeks were perfectly contoured to his face, which was slightly pale yet vibrant. Dottie sat up and the bed, but Sparky pushed her right back down. "You need rest.", he told her, "I'll stay here if you want." This made Dottie smile. She wiped the tears off and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Sparky blushed a little, and he returned the gesture. "Thank you.", she whispered. "Anytime.", Sparky replied.

Dottie then let go of him and put her feet on the floor. This time Sparky didn't stop her. Instead he helped her stand up. Once upright, Dottie wobbled a little, but she oriented herself with the help of her arms. Sparky was amazed at how Dottie could beat just about anything. He looked at the woman in front of him. Even though she was wearing a hospital gown, he imagined her wearing her jumpsuit. "Is something the matter?", Dottie asked him. Sparky snapped out his trance and shook his head. Dottie could see through his lie and gave him a quizzical look. "Okay.", Sparky relented, "I'll tell you." He put his hands in his jean pockets and shifted his feet a little. Dottie leaned in closer for his next words. He took a deep breath. That's when he finally said it. "I…like…you."


	2. An Old Acquaintance

"I…like…you." Dottie was immediately taken aback at what he'd just said to her. "Sparky, I don't know what to say.", she told him, "How long have you held this back from me?" Sparky replied, "Ever since you came to Propwash." Dottie was shocked. "I was so smitten by your beauty.", he admitted even further, "I mean, look at you. You're the finest woman I've ever met. You work hard to help others, and you dedicated yourself to that. But when all…this…happened, I really thought your world was going to unravel. I am going to keep that from happening. I'll protect you in any way possible, okay?" Dottie couldn't stand it any longer. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the shorter man. She then gave him a little peck on the cheek, causing Sparky to blush. "That's so sweet of you.", she whispered.

Sparky gazed into the depths of her striking brown eyes. He finally realized what she had been missing all her life: a relationship. He then asked Dottie, "After you're out of here, can we, um, go out together?" Dottie smiled and replied, "That's a wonderful idea!" But then Sparky frowned. Dottie asked him, "What's wrong?" "What are you gonna chose as a second career?", he asked back at her. Dottie was silent for a few seconds. "I bet I can get a job at Piston Peak.", she answered, "I'm licensed to fly, so that that means I can join the air attack team over there. Just then a group of people burst through some large doors. They were surrounding a stretcher and taking photos of its occupant. Sparky went through and pushed his way inward. Then he immediately stepped back out. "Who is it?", Dottie asked him. Sparky looked at her and asked, "Remember that girl who followed Dusty everywhere at Piston Peak?" Dottie did remember a name. "Dipper?" Sparky nodded. Dottie put her hands on her mouth, realizing what had happened to her.

A few hours later, Sparky left the hospital due to the visiting hours. He told Dottie he'd be back. It was was five in the morning, and Dottie was sleeping in her bed, with her arm still attached to the portable infusion pump. Her eyes fluttered open. She soon noticed that the lights were turned off, with only the moonlight piercing the window. It gave a somewhat odd glow to the room. She got up slowly and switched on the light. Grabbing hold of the pump, she stood up and opened the door. Walking out slowly, she noticed a matte black cane next to the doorway. There was a hospital tag with her name on it attached to the handle. There was also a note written on it. "Go find Dipper. Use this cane to help you. The doctor forgot to mention your inability to walk normally. -Sparky" Dottie found this out by limping towards the cane. Since her right leg felt a bit numb, she grabbed the cane with her left hand. "Good thing I'm left handed.", she muttered to herself.

As she started walking down the hall, Dottie noticed a few drops of blood which formed a line. "This could be Dipper's!", she thought in horror, "After all, she was the last patient to go through here tonight." Dottie followed the trail, leading her towards one of the elevators. This presented her with a problem. She would have to try each floor, or the janitor could have cleaned the elevator already. She pushed the button and the door opened. Fortunately and at the same unfortunately, there were two drops of blood inside. Careful not to step on it, Dottie got in and pushed the button for the next floor. The door closed. She went up and soon in stopped. The door opened again, revealing more blood. The trail ended at the operating room. "Ugh. Figures.", she groaned. She walked back to the elevators to get to her room.

Walking by a window, she stopped and turned around."Oh my God!", she exclaimed, immediately horrified at who she saw through it. In the room was a woman on a bed. She had a blonde ponytail that was hanging off to the side. But Dottie instead looked at her face, which was covered in bruises, including her arms. There was a large white bandage covering her head. Her abdomen had been bandaged as well, due to a possible surgery. Dottie backed away from the window. Then she heard a voice behind her. "Miss Hyster?" Dottie turned around to see the same doctor in front of her. "You really should be resting.", he said sternly, "Also, this is intensive care." "I'm sorry.", Dottie replied apologetically, "It's just that I know that woman in there. I met her once. She works for Piston Peak.

But I'm wondering why she's here instead of another hospital near the park." "She was visiting.", the doctor explained, "The car she was in had overturned. Even with the surgery, it was a miracle to even get her to stabilize." Dottie nodded with understanding. "I guess I'll go back to my room, then.", she told him. The doctor asked her, "Would you like me to tell you when she wakes up?" Dottie nodded again, then looked at the drops of blood. The doctor noticed them too. "I'll get the janitor.", he said and gestured for Dottie to go back to her room. As he walked away, Dottie took one last look through the window and laid a hand on it. "I can't believe this happened to you, Dipper.", she whispered. Tears started forming and soon they trickled down her cheeks. Even though it was faint, Dottie could hear the heart rate monitor beeping slowly from inside. "Beep. Beep. Beep." She somberly walked to the elevator, praying that Dipper would survive. "Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..."


	3. Friends

"Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..." Dottie heard that tone and turned around to see the doctor rushing into the room Dipper was in. "She's flatlining!", he exclaimed. "I need staff in here, stat!", he yelled into his radio. Suddenly two nurses, one male and one female, rounded the corner. They made their way into the room and started working on saving Dipper's life, which Dottie feared for. The doctor turned on the defibrillator. Getting out to plates, he lubricated them and placed them on Dipper's body. Then a high pitched noise emanated from the machine. "Clear!" A shock was heard as Dipper's body jolted up and down. "Clear!" "Zap!" "Beep. Beep. Beep." Dottie breathed a sigh of relief. The staff then left, but they forgot to close the door. This gave Dottie the opportunity to go inside, and she took it.

She walked in, noticing a steel chair next to the wall. Sitting down on it, she looked at Dipper and examined her beat up figure. After three hours, Dipper's eyes started to open. Dottie noticed this and looked at her. Dipper slowly turned her head to look at Dottie. Her breathing was heavy due to the recovery process. "D-Dottie?", she whispered. Dottie leaned in closer, happy that Dipper was conscious. "Hey, there.", she said to Dipper, "It's been a while." Dipper nodded. Dottie wondered how Dipper could be so happy, even though she survived a horrific accident. Though she knew Dipper was lucky to be alive, there was something that didn't add up: what was the other reason Dipper seemed happy all the time? Perhaps she was hiding something, and Dottie was going to find out one or another. Dottie leaned in to ask her a question. "How was your life before flying cargo in Alaska?" "Well,", Dipper replied, "I was born in Anchorage, though I never knew who my parents were. So I was put into foster care until I ran away when I was thirteen." Dottie was surprised. Dipper continued with her story.

"I then joined a local group of punks who took me in. We didn't commit any crimes. Instead, we were the kind who just partied. One night, the cops came. They arrested everyone except me, since it was my turn to do grocery shopping. I was coming back when I saw the squad cars. After that, I got a job and held onto it until I graduated high school. Since I had enough money, I decided to attend college for two years. That was enough for me. I still had money left over, so I paid for my flight training, and got my license five months later. I flew cargo for ten years, until the airline I was flying for went bankrupt. The plane I flew didn't have any legal owners since the title was invalid, so claimed it as my own. Then I heard of a job opening at Piston Peak. Blade helped me get certified, and things went on from there." Silence fell between them for a few moments. Dottie then broke it.

"Before I came to Propwash, I used to be a mechanic for some street racers fifteen years ago. One time, the cops shut us down, and I got carted off to jail for the night. But the charges were dropped since I was just the mechanic. I never did see them again after that." "What were you guys called?", Dipper asked. Dottie replied, "The Delinquent Road Hazards."


	4. Seeking Greener Pastures

Three weeks passed since Dottie and Dipper's admission to the hospital. Dottie was released first, but she visited Dipper for the remaining week of her stay. Now they were both out, and they headed back to Propwash. Once they got there, they were greeted by their friends at the service station. A huge party was thrown in celebration. While Dipper was mingling with the others in the Honkers bar, she noticed Dusty in one corner of the building. At first she was excited, but she noticed something else. Though his back was turned towards her, there was a mirror next to him. Looking at the reflection, she saw tears running down his cheeks. Dipper was stunned. She immediately walked over to him, throwing her martini in the garbage. Dusty saw this in the mirror and casually walked out. Dipper followed him, and they both found themselves standing in an alley, looking at each other. "What's wrong, Dustmuffin?", she asked sweetly. Dusty tore his gaze away from her in guilt. Dipper immediately figured what was wrong. "It wasn't your fault.", she explained, "You had no control over Dottie's accident, let alone mine." "I coulda!", Dusty protested. Dipper sternly replied, "Coulda, woulda... didn't." Deep down, somewhere in his heart, Dusty knew she was right. She laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe him. Dusty did likewise, but put his left hand on her cheek. He swore he could also feel the pain of the bruises that were still on her face. Suddenly he pulled her into an embrace that seemed to last forever. Dipper was taken aback at this sudden act of affection, making her not want to let go. But then a female voice was heard from around the corner.

"Hey, guys." Dipper and Dusty pulled away from each other and looked at the figure coming towards them. The figure revealed itself to be Dottie wearing an indigo shirt with khaki shorts. Dipper then realized what it was all about. Dusty looked at both of them in curiosity. "What's going on?", he asked. Dottie spoke up. "Dipper and I are switching jobs." Dusty was surprised. But then he protested, "I almost lost you, Dottie. I'm not gonna lose you for real." "And you won't.", Dottie countered, "I'll be flying Dipper's plane while she'll be fixing the ones here, including yours. Sparky's coming with me as a copilot. Skipper already said he's cool with it. We're leaving tomorrow." Dusty fell silent for a few moments. Then he said, "Alright. Just...be careful." Dottie nodded, and Dusty gave her a big hug, with Dipper joining in.

The next morning, the whining of jet engines was heard as a small Gulfstream jet landed in the town. Sparky and Dottie soon came out of one hangar carrying their packed bags. "Looks like our air taxi is here!", Sparky joked. Dottie just laughed. Off in the distance, Dusty, Dipper, and the rest of the gang waved goodbye to them. Dottie and Sparky waved back to them. They climbed into their plane with their belongings. Once inside, the pilot asked them, "Where to?" "Piston Peak.", Dottie answered. The pilot nodded and contacted the control tower on her headset. "Propwash Tower, am I cleared for takeoff?" "Roger, you are cleared for takeoff on runway two-five. Have a good flight." The plane soon taxied to the runway. With the throttle up and brakes released, the jet barreled down the runway. Taking off, the pilot immediately banked right rather sharply. Leveling off, the plane passed through the clouds ever so smoothly. "Sorry about that.", the pilot apologized, "That was the shortest runway I've ever taken off from." "That's okay.", Sparky reassured her, "One time I was stationed in Nepal. There was this runway that was so short it had to be put on a mountaintop. Not only that, but part of it was sloped. Planes would have to literally fall off the edge to gain enough speed to go up, and landing was just plain dangerous. The winds didn't make it easier either." The pilot just shook her head and laughed.

"What are your names?", she asked them. Dottie answered, "I'm Dottie, and this Sparky. What's yours?" "Jennifer.", the pilot replied. "How long have you been flying, Jennifer?", Sparky asked. "Got my license five years ago today.", Jennifer proudly answered. Dottie and Sparky nodded, showing their "not bad" expressions. Jennifer added, "There's wine in the cooler back there. Help yourselves to it. Everything was covered for this flight." Sparky reached for the cooler and opened it. There was a bottle of red wine next to two stemmed glasses. Sparky got them out and put them on the small mahogany table separating him and Dottie. He deftly popped the cork and slowly poured the wine into Dottie's glass, then his. They toasted, their glasses making a small chink. After they finished drinking, Sparky got the glasses and bottle and put them back in the cooler. As he flipped up the table, a small piece of white paper fell out of his back pocket. Dottie saw this and picked it up, making Sparky freeze. She read the paper, which turned out to be a receipt for the charter flight. Dottie tore her gaze on the receipt away and fixed it on Sparky. "You paid for this flight?", she asked in surprise. Sparky got up and sat next to her. He put a hand on hers and began rubbing it with his thumb. "Anything for you, baby.", he cooed. Dottie was touched both literally and figuratively by his kindness towards her. She slowly leaned in towards Sparky and put her lips on his, making them both close their eyes to make it as romantic as possible. Jennifer noticed this while looking into the rearview mirror, which she had installed so she could check on passengers. Noticing them, she closed the cockpit door to give the two some privacy.

After two hours of making out, the seat belt light came on, a sound accompanying it. Dottie and Sparky sat next to each other, putting their belts on. Looking out the window, they saw trees down below as an airfield on a cliffside came into view. A few minutes later, they touched down. The plane soon taxied off the runway, and the air stair door opened. Dottie and Sparky stepped off with their bags, and once they did so, the door closed. They stepped away from the aircraft as the engines spooled up, sending it toward the runway. The plane took off, leaving them at the mercy of whoever ran the airfield. Dottie and Sparky gazed at the buildings, which were mostly hangars save for one that looked like a barracks. Dottie looked at Sparky who was still looking at them. Forming a mischievous grin on her face, she slapped his derrière. "Yikes!", he gasped. Dottie just giggled and carried her duffel bag towards one of the hangars. Sparky just shook his head. "I will never understand that woman.", he thought.

Meanwhile, some 1400 miles away in Houston, Texas, one house is the scene of a domestic disturbance. "You'll never be a pilot! Be a machinist like me!", a man yelled to his son, then punched him in the abdomen. The boy fell to the floor, clutching his abdomen in pain. The stumbled out of the room in anger. "Clean yourself up!", the father yelled, slamming the door. Several hours later, the boy found himself looking at the mirror in his room. The reflection revealed a seventeen year old with short black hair and brown eyes staring back at him. They boy left his room to use the toilet. After doing so, he concocted a brilliant scheme. Opening the cabinet, he got out some sleeping pills. When his parents were not noticing he put all of them in a bottle of red wine, then shook it. The right moment came when his mother opened it and poured some for her and her husband. They drank it and went to their room.

After thirty minutes, the boy went to the room, and saw them passed out. He went to his room and got a suitcase from the closet. He started packing clothes and other things. As he was doing so, he came across a Beretta pistol. "So that's where I put it.", he muttered to himself and got the clip out. It was still fully loaded, so he put it back in. Once done packing, he changed into some clothes. He then grabbed his black army beret, which had a blue patch shaped like a shield with white stars and put it on. He also put on a black leather vest, completing his look. Five minutes later, after stealing the car keys and several thousand dollars from the safe, he loaded everything into a red Mercedes-Benz diesel station wagon. Starting the engine, he pulled out of the driveway and sped off towards Interstate 10. Once he got there, he took the feeder onto the highway, heading westward into the sunset. "California, here I come!"


End file.
